Jalin Turner praises Ian Machado Garry for helping him rediscover MMA passion

UFC lightweight Jalin Turner has thanked Ian Machado Garry for helping him rediscover his passion and love for mixed martial arts.

Following a brief retirement from the sport, Jalin Turner made his return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship at UFC 323 last weekend. He was able to get back in the win column in emphatic fashion, finishing off Edson Barboza following a pretty one-sided and dominant first round display. Now, he looks set to once again pursue his dream of becoming a world champion.

While things are looking pretty stacked at 155 pounds right now, Jalin Turner certainly has the skills necessary to cause problems for a lot of guys in the top 15. Whether or not he’s able to consistently piece it all together and go on a real run, though, remains to be seen.

In his post-fight press conference appearance, Jalin Turner spoke candidly about what helped him to realize that he wanted to get back in there and compete in MMA.

Jalin Turner praises Ian Machado Garry

When I went to go help Ian Garry, it was so good,” Turner told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the UFC 323 post-fight news conference. “Being around his family, being around his team, feeling the love that was radiating from everybody. He was driving, doing all this stuff, having a blast, his son is awesome. It just showed me a light. They really told me I should just put away all the distractions because I’m too talented and too good to hang it up now.”

“I’m enjoying every fight, every moment,” Turner said. “One fight at a time, one moment at a time. I am excited to see how much further I can get into this career, in this division with the relationship with God now.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie